(thanks to Sixers Hoops for the logic breakdown)
UPDATE: Cleaned up this Frankensteined report.
Shams reported today that punishment for the Kawhi Leonard / Clippers cap circumvention scandal has finally come down and it’s crazy:
- Clippers forfeit 5 1st round picks: 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033
- Steve Ballmer fined $30m
- Suspensions for Ballmer, GM Lawrence Frank, and President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker
- Leonard has to pay $700k in restitution (which doesn’t make much sense)
- His former agent and uncle, Uncle Dennis, is banned from all NBA business dealings
If you are into the legal portion of this situation, there’s a difference between the NBA announcing the punishment and the punishment taking affect. Many times, when an announced punishment is handed down, it comes from the sides compromising and essentially agreeing to a punishment together. That half happened here.
Leonard and the Player’s Association have agreed to his portion of the punishment. I mean, of course he did! He was barely punished at all. What that tells me is that he basically took a plea deal. He agreed to talk against Ballmer and the Clippers in exchange for leniency. This was an incredibly wise decision by the NBA. Not only do they get Leonard to back up all of the allegations, but it also moves the appeal process out of arbitration.
The Clippers and Ballmer steadfastly deny the allegations and have said they will fight the decision. Because arbitration is a dispute resolution process collectively bargained for between the Players Association and the Owners but NOT the NBA and the Owners, it is no longer an option since the Players will not be part of the appeal. Going before a judge in this case is much different than going before an arbitrator. One of the main differences is that arbitration is private, federal court is not. Ballmer could torch the NBA publicly but may have a harder time proving his case.
Assuming it is eventually final, the big question for Sixers fans is, “what happens with our 2029 Clippers pick?” When the Sixers traded James Harden to LA, they received a 2028 unprotected pick and a 2029 pick swap. That 2028 pick has since been traded in the Jaylen Brown deal (though there is still a slim chance we keep it in some way). That 2029 pick though? If it forfeits, then what happens?
I wrote this originally under the impression that the 2029 pick swap between the Clippers and Sixers was in peril. It is not. Since the Clippers own the Pacers first round pick from the Ivica Zubac trade, the NBA has decided to take that pick instead of the Clippers/Sixers pick. This is a weird thing to do since it was not originally theirs, but it does make things cleaner come 2029 lottery time I suppose.
What stinks is that there is no real penalty to the Clippers right now. Leonard will still go to the Raptors meaning Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and a first will go to LA. They will have very little bad contracts on their books after next season meaning that they could possibly load up on free agents for the swap year. Granted, their ability to trade for stars will be limited because of the lack of future draft picks, but they will still have some current picks to send on their ledger. There is the other end of the Sixers pick swap as well as the pick they are getting for Kawhi and anything they could possibly get in the future for Darius Garland and/or Brandon Ingram.
Photo: jbiggi10, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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